A 40-year-old man has pneumonia and on a chest x-ray showed calcifications that might indicate a neoplasm. He had lived in the Ohio River valley and had worked in a church bell tower cleaning out the pigeon droppings. Do you have any idea about which of the following infections is caused by bird droppings and cause calcifications?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Histoplasma capsulatum is a fungus found in bird and bat droppings, especially in the Ohio River valley. It can cause lung infections and calcifications on chest x-rays.

A 40-Year-Old Man Has Pneumonia and on a Chest X-Ray